US, Qatar sign agreement against financing terrorism

Cairo, July 12 (IANS) The US Secretary of State and his Qatari counterpart signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding against the financing of terrorism, Qatari media reported.

In live footage, Rex Tillerson and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani signed the pact, which they had been working on for a year, Tillerson explained, Efe news reported.

The head of US diplomacy added that this step seeks to “revive” the agreements adopted at the Riyadh summit in 2014, from which several steps have been taken in favour of the fight against terrorism and its financing.

Al Thani stressed in a press conference offered before the signing that this is a bilateral agreement and has nothing to do with the current crisis between Qatar and the four Arab countries that have broken diplomatic relations with Doha.

Tillerson arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to try to find a way out of the crisis, which began more than a month ago, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut off diplomatic relations with Doha and imposed a land, naval and air blockade about the country.

He said he was in the Persian Gulf to support the efforts of Kuwait, a country that is mediating among its Arab neighbours.

The secretary of state added that he will travel on Wednesday to Saudi Arabia to explore possible ways out of the crisis, but he does not want to generate expectations regarding a near solution.

Prior to his visit, Tillerson has maintained contacts with all countries involved in the dispute and other regional actors and has asked, without success, Saudi Arabia and its allies to soften the blockade by warning that it hampers operations against the Islamic State.